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Just to name a few, the suburbs where majority of Pakistanis reside in are Auburn, Lakemba, Punchbowl, Granville, Parramatta, Mt. Druitt, Blacktown, Bankstown, Rooty Hill, Surry Hills and Fairfield. A few of the mentioned suburbs are not really considered as the “posh or rich suburbs of Sydney”, due to factors such as low-medium rent, distance from main CBD, etc. Although living in these suburbs is great if you are a Pakistani because it gives the advantage to draw closer to the Pakistani community, multicultural events, mosques and a wide variety of Pakistani/Halal cuisines.

Mosques

Majority of Pakistanis are Muslims, therefore, before choosing a location to live in, the location of the nearest mosque/prayer hall does play a vital role in the decision making process. In Sydney alone, there are over 50 mosques spread out. A list of some mosques are:

Auburn Gallipoli Mosque

Bankstown Mosque

Blacktown Mosque

Granville Mosque

Lakemba Mosque

Surry Hills Mosque

Rooty Hill Mosque

Macquarie University Mussalah

Hornsby Mussalah

Sydney CBD Mussalah

Employment

Depending on your skills, qualifications and experience you can find a suitable job. Most of the professional jobs are located in the main Sydney CBD area. There are also many security jobs where you would require a security license to work. You can also work in the Childcare field once you have successfully completed a Certificate IV. There are options to drive as delivery drivers for apps or as an Uber driver to earn some extra cash on the side. You can find full-time, part-time and casual jobs on websites such as Seek, Gumtree and Indeed.com.

Public Transport

More than 4 million people reside in Sydney, therefore, you can expect some heavy traffic. It is best if you reside near public transportation and work at a place where you can reach right on time. The best way to commute from one place to another is by using the Sydney Train Transportation System. You would require an Opal card to ride these trains and may even be eligible for a discount for example if you are a senior or a student. Usually malls, restaurants and main buildings are located near the train stations. You can also use different modes of public transportation such as Sydney Buses, Ferries, Uber and Taxi depending upon where you need to go.

Islamic Schools

There are a number of Islamic schools around Sydney. These schools offer a variety of courses relating to Islamic studies and learning Arabic. Some of these are listed below:

Australian Islamic College of Sydney located in Mt. Druitt

Al-Faisal College located in Auburn

Al-Amanah College located in Bankstown

Malek Fahad Islamic School located in Greenacre

Activities to Do

Sydney is full of fun filled activities, you hardly can ever get bored in this busy city. In your spare time you can indulge in different sports and activities such as:

Bowling

Swimming

Surfing

Cycling

Gym

Hiking

Shopping

Halal/Pakistani Restaurants and Fast Food Places

Pakistan is known for its famous dishes like “Biryani”. From my personal experience and popular reviews from customers, here are a few restaurants I will name that are great in taste and flavour. Following restaurants are Halal certified around Sydney:

Lal Qila – Surry Hills

Lahori Dhaba – Punchbowl

Faheem Fast Food- Enmore

El Jennah – Granville

Nandos – multiple locations

Student biryani – Auburn

Himalaya Pakistani and Indian Restaurant- Surry Hills

Kabul House- Merrylands

If you are looking to eat at Fast food restaurants. Pakistani/Muslim majority suburbs such as Auburn, Bankstown, Granville, Merrylands, etc. have McDonald’s, KFC and Hungry Jacks that are Halal Certified. If you are unsure, it is best to speak with management for them to display their Halal Certification.

Events

There are many cultural and fun-filled events that are held around Sydney which usually takes place on the weekends or on public holidays. These events are great as people can come together and enjoy with their family and friends. Some of these events include:

Chand Raat Eid Festival

This is a grand festival where Muslims celebrate just before Eid Day. At this event you can find the Muslim community coming together. There is a wide variety of food stalls, henna stalls, music, dances, different cultural performances, ice cream, toys, jewellery and the list just goes on! There is also a mini carnival and games for the kids to enjoy. Usually this event takes place at Rosehill Gardens.

Pakistan Independence Day Celebrations

There are quite a few functions held for Pakistanis to celebrate Pakistan Day. The main highlights in these type of events are food stalls, music, dances and fireworks.

Halal Expo Australia

The name says it all. You will get to find that this event showcases and creates awareness of the halal lifestyle and displays different halal products and services.

Pakistani Cinema

If you are in the mood to watch a Pakistani Movie or even a Bollywood movie, there are cinemas in Sydney that play the latest movies. Cinemas such as Events Cinemas and Hoyts Cinema do play popular Pakistani and Bollywood films. These movies are usually in Urdu/Hindi language with English subtitles. A lot of Pakistani celebrities also visit Australia to promote their movies, you can find out by following your favourite celebrities through their official accounts on Facebook or Twitter.

Places to Visit

Sydney has wonderful attractions. It is a very popular destination that attracts tourists from all around the world. There are many places to visit with you family and friends such as Landmarks, Zoos, Amusement Parks, Beaches, Aquariums, Museums, Malls, etc. Here are the names of some popular places to visit:

Sydney Opera House

Darling Harbour

Wild Life Sydney Zoo

Taronga Zoo

Royal Botanic Garden

Luna Amusement Theme Park

Bondi Beach

Manly Beach

Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Powerhouse Museum

Madame Tussands

Sydney Olympic Park

I hope you enjoyed this article and gained some insights about the Life of a Pakistani in Sydney Australia!